Bulkhead latch operating mechanism



y 1967 A. G. KUELLMAR 3,330,584

BULKHEAD LATCH OPERATING MECHANISM Filed July 1, 1965 INVENTOR n ADOLPHG.KUELLMAR Q/CLJ/W P United States Patent 3,330,584 BULKHEAD LATCHOPERATING MECHANISM Adolph G. Kuellmar, Blue Island, 111., assignor toUnarco Industries Inc., a corporation of Illinois Filed July 1, 1965,Ser. No. 468,845 3 Claims. (Cl. 29236) This invention relates to adevice for operating the latching mechanism for moving bulkheads used inrailway box cars.

In US. Patent No. 3,168,055, there is shown a movable bulkhead forrailway cars and an operating mechanism therefor. The latching mechanismshown in said patent is actuated by an operating lever which is locatedwithin the side post members at the opposite ends of each bulkhead.Although the lever construction shown in this patent is generallysatisfactory, it has certain disadvantages. Thus, since the lever doesnot extend outwardly through the side post of the bulkhead, the operatormust operate the actuating lever entirely within the box car. Further,another disadvantage of the device shown is that the operator must reachwithin .a narrow opening in the post to operate the lever. Although acrowbar or similar device may be used to pivot the operating lever shownin our patent, no device to provide the desired leverage is physicallyand operatively connected to the lever. Thus, unless a crowbar or thelike is available in the area, the actuation must be performed withoutthe benefit of a device for providing leverage.

It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide animproved actuating device for the latching mechanism of movablebulkheads for railway freight cars, wherein the drawbacks of prior artdevices are substantially avoided.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an actuating devicefor the latching mechanism of a moving bulkhead of a railway freight carwherein a bar, slidably and permanently afiixed to a fixed arm of thelatching mechanism is provided whereby the operator may withdraw the barand operate it without the confines of the bulkhead, as well as within,and thereby provide the operator with improved application of leverage.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved actuatingdevice for the latching mechanism of the movable bulkhead for a railwaycar wherein the device is characterized by its simplicity, economy, andefiiciency of manufacture, construction and use.

Further purposes and objects of this invention will appear as thespecification proceeds.

A particular embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a railway freight car embodyingthe invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, partially sectioned side view of a bulkhead andshowing the latch operating mechanism;

FIGURE 3 is a partially sectioned end view as viewed looking from theleft of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an alternate connection at the operating handle of theinvention.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows an outline of a railway boxcar having side walls 10, end walls 12, and door openings 14 in the sidewalls 10, intermediate the opposite ends walls 12. Sliding doors arecommonly provided for closing the openings 14 during transit and eitheror both of the doors may be open when the car is being loaded orunloaded. The car contains lading 16 which may be carried on pallets.Depending on the location and number of the bulkheads 18, the lading 16is separated into two, three or more compartments. In FIGURE 1, twobulkheads 18 are movable lengthwise of ICC the car and may be latched indilferent positions in the car, as required. Normally, each bulkhead 18is positioned to lie within the door openings 12 so as to be accessibletherethrough. In FIGURE 1, the bulkheads 18 are practically back-to-backand do not contain lading therebetween.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 2 and 3, the latch operatingmechanism, generally 20, and portions of a bulkhead 18 are shown indetail. The bulkhead 18 has a pair of opposite side post members 22which are joined together by cross-members 24 which extend the width ofthe car. The bulkhead 18 has end walls 26 and side walls 28 in the posts22 and on the cross-members 24. Each of the side posts 22 include oneend wall 26, an inner wall 30, and lateral walls 32 which areco-extensive with the side walls 28 of the bulkhead 18.

Contained within each of the side posts 22 is the latching mechanism 20.The latching mechanism 20 includes a rotatable member, which isrotatably carried and supported by the lateral walls 32 of the side post22. Cross pieces 36 are afiixed to or integral with the rotatable member34. The end of each cross piece 36 pivotally carries elongated latch pinassemblies 38 which extend upwardly and downwardly within the side posts22. The lower of the latch pin assemblies 38 is substantially verticallymovable at its lower end and is maintained in such movement by the guide40 provided at the lower end of the side post member 22. The lowermostend of the pin assembly 38 moves in and out of latching engagement withapertures provided in the floor latch stays 42 which are positioned inthe box car floor along the side Walls 10 of the box car. Similar latchstays (not shown) are provided along the roof of the box car to provideengagement with the upper ends of the upper pin assemblies 38.

Since the bulkhead 18 is desirably movable from either of its ends,latch operating mechanisms 20 are positioned in both side post members22 of each bulkhead 18. A connecting mechanism, generally 44, isprovided to operatively interconnect both latch operating mechanisms 20used on each of the bulkheads 18. The connecting mechanism 44 includes afirst arm 46 fixedly secured to or integral with the rotatable member34, which arm 46 is pivotally connected to a cross rod 48 which extendsthe width of the car and is pivotally connected to a second arm 50 whichis affixed to the other rotatable member. With this interconnection 44,the operator may simultaneously operate each latch mechanism 20 from oneside of the bulkhead 18 since rotation of one member 34, through thelinkage 44, causes similar rotation of the other member 34 so as toeffect a release of the latching pins 38 from the corresponding floorand sealing latch stays.

In order to actuate the operating mechanism 20, a short arm 52 isafiixed to or integral with the member 34. It is important in myinvention that a slidable arm member or lever 54 be connected thereto.In the embodiment shown, each arm 52 is secured to a rotatable member 34and extends in a substantially horizontal direction towards the end wall26 and is of a length to terminate within the plane of the end wallouter surface as shown. An opening is provided in each arm for receivingthe sliding bar 54. The sliding bar 54 is provided with enlarged headsor retaining portions 56 and its opposite ends so that the bar 54 isretained in slidable connection with the arm 52 at all times.

In the construction of my sliding bar-arm mechanism, it is importantthat when in the latched position, each sliding bar 54 is to bepositioned within the confines of the side post member 22 and one of theheads 56, advantageously the upper head, to be readily accessible to theoperator through a vertically elongated aperture 58 adjacent the arm 52and in a end wall 26 of the post 22. To position the sliding bar in theend posts the openings in the arms 50 and 52 are substantially vertical,sloping upwardly and outwardly at a small acute angle. The upper head 56will thus lie within the plane of the end wall outer surface, as shown,with the bars being substantially vertical. Since the head is at theaperture 58, the operator is not required to reach excessively far toreach the bar 54. This has the further advantage of requiring only anarrow opening 58 in the side post 22 so as to thereby provide greatervertical strength for the post 22.

In the construction shown, when the operator desires to unlatch the pins38, he merely grasps the outer or upper head 56 on the bars 54 and drawsit upwardly and outwardly so as to provide the necessary leverage whenthe bar 54 is pivoted downwardly, or when the left hand bar is pivotedin a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2. The dotted lineshowing of one bar in the horizontal position shown in FIGURE 2illustrates the position of the bar 54 and arm 52 after the pins havebeen unlatched. The bar 54 is pivoted through approximately 90 in orderto completely unlatch the pins from the stays. Since it is desired tofreely move the bulkheads 18 the entire length of the car during loadingor unloading, each bar 54 is retained within the box car and does notproject outwardly through the door openings 14. In order to retain eachbar 54 within the car after it is pivoted to the open position, aU-shaped plate member 60 is provided at the bottom portion of eachelongated opening 58. The plate engages or contacts the enlarged head 56of the bar 54, when the non-operating bar 54 has been moved to theunlatched position in response to the pivoting of the other bar. Thus,the U-shaped plate 60 prevents the nonoperating bar from slidingoutwardly when it has been fully unlatched and has moved to a downwardlyinclined position and the plate 60 also prevents the handle which is notbeing used from falling against the railway ear wall when the bulkheadis being used. The elongated opening 62 provided along the inner wall 30of each side post 22 permits the swinging passage of the bar 54 afterthe mechanism 20 is unlatched and permits use of the bar 54 inside thecar. The opening 62 also permits swinging movement of the non-operatingbar 54 at the opposite post 22.

As an alternative embodiment for preventing interference between thedoor or walls of the box car and the non-operating handle, a lost motionconnection may be provided in the attachment between the arm 52 androtatable member 34. Thus, the non-operating handle remains stationary,but the rotatable member pivots to cause unlatching of the second end ofthe bulkhead. Referring to FIGURE 4, a particular lost motion connection70 is shown. The rotatable member 72 of this embodiment includes aradial projection 74 and the arm 52 has a collar 76 thereon. The collarhas a central aperture and an annular segment cutout 80 wherein theprojection moves freely. When the handle is operated and pivoted in acounterclockwise direction, the shoulder 82 formed by the cutout abutsthe projection 74 and effects the desired 4 rotation of the member '72to unlatch the bulkhead. On the other hand, when the opposite handle ofthe bulkhead is pivoted, the projection 74 freely moves in the cutoutand no motion is imparted to the arm 52 on its attached handle. In thisway, the non-operating handle remains substantially within the confinesof the post 22.

While in the foregoing, there has been provided a detailed descriptionof a particular embodiment of the present invention, it is to beunderstood that all equivalents obvious to those having skill in the artare to be included within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Bulkhead latch operating mechanism for a movable bulkhead in arailroad car comprising a hollow bulkhead having end walls and spacedside walls joining the end walls and vertically movable latch members inthe bulkhead adjacent to the end walls to engage latching strips in acar, a cross piece pivotally mounted in the bulkhead adjacent to eachend wall on an axis extending between and perpendicular to the sidewalls and connected to the adjacent latch members to move them, meansconnecting the cross pieces for simultaneous turning movement, a shortarm connected to each cross piece and extending therefrom toward theadjacent end wall and terminating within the plane of the outer surfaceof the end wall, said arm being formed with an opening therethroughadjacent to its end remote from the cross piece, an elongated operatingbar extending slidably through the opening and formed with enlargedheads to engage the arm and prevent complete passage of the bar throughthe opening. the opening being substantially vertical when the latchmembers are in their operative latching positions whereby the bars willdepend substantially vertically therefrom within the outer surface ofthe bulkhead, and the end walls being formed with openings through whichthe upper ends of the bars can be drawn upwardly and outwardly so thatthey can be grasped to turn the cross pieces and operate the latchmembers.

2. The mechanism of claim 1 including a notched stop plate on each endwall at the bottom of the opening therein, the notch in each platepassing the adjacent bar but being smaller than the enlarged headthereon to prevent accidental outward movement of the bar when it isswung to an outwardly and downwardly sloping position.

3. The mechanism of claim 1 in which each short arm is connected to theadjacent cross piece through a lost motion connection whereby when onearm is turned to operate the latch members the other arm will remainstationary.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 896,157 8/1908 Roberts 81-1771,370,109 3/1921 Hart 292200 3,168,055 2/1965 Vander Hyde et al. 376

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Examiner.

J. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner.

1. BULKHEAD LATCH OPERATING MECHANISM FOR A MOVABLE BULKHEAD IN ARAILROAD CAR COMPRISING A HOLLOW BULKHEAD HAVING END WALLS AND SPACEDSIDE WALLS JOINING THE END WALLS AND VERTICALLY MOVABLE LATCH MEMBERS INTHE BULKHEAD ADJACENT TO THE END WALLS TO ENGAGE LATCHING STRIPS IN ACAR, A CROSS PIECE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN THE BULKHEAD ADJACENT TO EACHEND WALL ON AN AXIS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE SIDEWALLS AND CONNECTED TO THE ADJACENT LATCH MEMBERS TO MOVE THEM, MEANSCONNECTING THE CROSS PIECES FOR SIMULTANEOUS TURNING MOVEMENT, A SHORTARM CONNECTED TO EACH CROSS PIECE AND EXTENDING THEREFROM TOWARD THEADJACENT END WALL AND TERMINATING WITHIN THE PLANE OF THE OUTER SURFACEOF THE END WALL, SAID ARM BEING FORMED WITH AN OPENING THERETHROUGHADJACENT TO ITS END REMOTE FROM THE CROSS PIECE, AN ELONGATED OPERATINGBAR EXTENDING SLIDABLY THROUGH THE OPENING AND FORMED WITH ENLARGEDHEADS TO ENGAGE THE ARM AND PREVENT COMPLETE PASSAGE OF THE BAR THROUGHTHE OPENING, THE OPENING BEING SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL WHEN THE LATCHMEMBERS ARE IN THEIR OPERATIVE LATCHING POSITIONS WHEREBY THE BARS WILLDEPEND SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY THEREFROM WITHIN THE OUTER SURFACE OFTHE BULKHEAD, AND THE END WALLS BEING FORMED WITH OPENINGS THROUGH WHICHTHE UPPER ENDS OF THE BARS CAN BE DRAWN UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY SO THATTHEY CAN BE GRASPED TO TURN THE CROSS PIECES AND OPERATE THE LATCHMEMBERS.